Special Initiative by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai Government to Promote Science and Commerce Education in Naxal-Affected Areas

Raipur, January 2026 : The Chhattisgarh government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, has launched a special initiative to promote the study and teaching of science and commerce subjects among Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in Naxal-affected districts of the state. The objective of this initiative is to increase interest in these subjects and address the shortage of qualified teachers in such regions.

Under the Aryabhatta Science–Commerce Teaching Incentive Scheme, the government has established two major science and commerce education centres with a capacity of 500 seats each in Durg and Jagdalpur. These centres are providing special academic opportunities to students from SC and ST communities through focused and structured learning support.

Officials of the Tribal Development Department said that the scheme, which began in the academic year 2013–14, reserves 80 seats each for mathematics and science and 40 seats for commerce at the undergraduate level. At the postgraduate level, 80 seats are allotted for science and 20 seats for commerce. In addition, 200 seats have been sanctioned for the B.Ed. programme. Of the total 500 sanctioned seats, 80 per cent are reserved for Scheduled Tribe students.

Under the scheme, selected students are provided guidance and necessary resources to prepare for Pre-B.Ed. and Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) examinations conducted for recruitment to teaching posts. For the financial year 2025–26, a budget provision of ₹2.40 crore has been made for the implementation of this scheme.

Interest and participation among SC and ST students in admissions and selection through the Aryabhatta Science–Commerce Teaching Incentive Scheme have been steadily increasing across the state. In the academic year 2023–24, as many as 452 female students enrolled at the Science–Commerce Development Centre in Durg, while 168 male students took admission at the Jagdalpur centre. During that year, 49 students were selected for various posts.

In 2024–25, the number of enrolled students rose further, with 473 students admitted at the girls’ education centre in Durg and 199 students at the boys’ centre in Jagdalpur. That year, 10 students were selected for different positions. In the current academic year 2025–26, enrolment has increased to 477 students at the Durg centre and 275 students at the Jagdalpur centre.

This initiative of the state government has not only increased interest among tribal students in science and commerce subjects but has also created meaningful opportunities for capable SC and ST students to become teachers. As a result, both their career prospects and social development are being significantly strengthened.